At the recent Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed irritation over the standing ovation for U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, stating, "I wasn’t in the hall and even if I had been, I would have found it difficult to stand up." His comments reflect a broader anxiety in Europe about the erosion of the rules-based international order, a sentiment echoed in the conference’s annual report highlighting fragmentation and disorder in global governance. Merz's concerns align with Paul Taylor's analysis in The Guardian, emphasizing that Europe must prepare for a future with significantly less, if not no, U.S. military support, especially under a potential second Trump administration. Taylor questioned the reliability of U.S. military commitment, asking, "Who truly believes that Trump... would commit US forces to an open-ended war in Europe?"
POLITICS
Chancellor Friedrich Merz Critiques U.S. Support at Munich Conference
At the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Merz criticized the ovation for Rubio, reflecting European anxiety over U.S. military support and the need for a more autonomous defense strategy.
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News Herald Opinion
Updated 10h agoTH
The Hindu
Updated 1 day agoTransatlantic strains: On Europe and the U.S. | The Hindu EditorialFEB 17, 10:34 AMRead →Transatlantic strains: On Europe and the U.S.FEB 17, 5:21 AMRead →Europeans push back at U.S. over claim they face 'civilisational erasure'FEB 15, 4:52 PMRead →Rubio strikes constructive tone but persists in U.S. criticism of European alliesFEB 14, 12:26 PMRead →
TG
The Guardian
Updated 2 days agoGermany calls on France to increase defence spendingFEB 16, 11:57 AMRead →Republicans and Democrats unite to condemn Trump’s attacks on alliesFEB 16, 11:00 AMRead →Why Marco Rubio’s ‘reassuring’ speech to Europe was nothing of the kind | Nathalie TocciFEB 16, 10:41 AMRead →What next for Greenland and Ukraine? Questions after the Munich security conferenceFEB 16, 1:22 AMRead →EU foreign policy chief criticises ‘fashionable euro-bashing’ by the USFEB 15, 4:23 PMRead →Offer to join Trump’s new era is met with growing sense of European steelinessFEB 15, 4:03 PMRead →‘Woke Europe not facing civilisational erasure,’ says EU’s Kallas after Rubio’s Munich speech – Europe liveFEB 15, 10:04 AMRead →Rubio tells Europe US wants renewed alliance – but on Trump’s termsFEB 14, 10:21 AMRead →Munich security conference live: Europe must be ready to fight Russia as ‘warning signs are there’, says StarmerFEB 14, 9:56 AMRead →Keir Starmer to call on UK and Europe to step up commitments to NatoFEB 13, 10:30 PMRead →Macron swipes at Trump tariffs and Greenland threats in call for a stronger EU – Munich Security Conference liveFEB 13, 8:04 PMRead →AOC accuses Trump of trying to usher in ‘age of authoritarianism’ at Munich conferenceFEB 13, 7:10 PMRead →
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NPR
Updated 2 days agoSCMP
South China Morning Post
Updated 2 days agoStarmer urges Europe to deepen interdependence amid Trump threatsFEB 16, 9:42 AMRead →In Munich, the US urges ‘collective strength’ among allies to deter ChinaFEB 15, 10:00 PMRead →As transatlantic divorce plays out in Munich, China enjoys the silenceFEB 15, 1:11 PMRead →Farewell to the ‘unipolar moment’: Europe scrambles for footing between US and ChinaFEB 13, 8:58 PMRead →
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New York Times
Updated 4 days agoIn Munich, Europe Says It Is ‘De-risking’ From the U.S. Amid Trump’s UnpredictabilityFEB 14, 7:46 PMRead →In Munich, Rubio Stresses Shared History to Europeans but Warns of ‘Civilizational Erasure’FEB 14, 11:36 AMRead →Europe’s Reaction to Rubio: Relief, Up to a PointFEB 14, 11:06 AMRead →Macron Insists Europe Remains Central to Global StabilityFEB 14, 1:52 AMRead →At Munich Summit, European Leaders Agree With Trump: The Old World Order Is OverFEB 13, 10:30 PMRead →Germany’s leader says his country is in discussions with France on a European nuclear deterrent.FEB 13, 9:08 PMRead →Macron urges Europe to step up on the global stage and stresses unity on major issues, particularly Ukraine.FEB 13, 9:07 PMRead →German Officials Needle Trump at Munich Security ConferenceFEB 13, 2:08 PMRead →
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